Ian Causley (Page, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the report of the Selection Committee relating to the consideration of committee and delegation reports and private members’ business on Monday, 12 February 2007. The report will be printed in today’s Hansard and the items accorded priority for debate will be published in the Notice Paper for the next sitting.

The report read as follows—

Report relating to the consideration of committee and delegation reports and private Members’ business on Monday, 12 February 2007

Pursuant to standing order 222, the Selection Committee has determined the order of precedence and times to be allotted for consideration of committee and delegation reports and private Members’ business on Monday, 12 February 2007.  The order of precedence and the allotments of time determined by the Committee are as follows:

COMMITTEE AND DELEGATION REPORTS 

Presentation and statements 

1   STANDING COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS

Community television: Options for digital broadcasting

The Committee determined that statements on the report may be made —all statements to conclude by 12:40pm

Speech time limits —

Each Member —5 minutes.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 2 x 5 mins]

PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS 

Order of precedence

Notices

1  Mr Georganas: to present a bill for an act to establish an Airport Development and Aviation Noise Ombudsman, and for related purposes (Airport Development and Aviation Noise Ombudsman Bill 2007). (Notice given 29 November 2006)

Presenter may speak for a period not exceeding 5 minutes —pursuant to standing order 41.

2  Ms George: to move—

That the House:

(1)

notes that:

(a)

on nearly any night there are around 100,000 Australians who are homeless and that nearly half of these people are under 25, with young people aged 12-18 making up a quarter of all those who are homeless; and

(b)

the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) is often the last resort for people who find themselves without, or at risk of being without, safe, secure or adequate housing;

(2)

expresses concern at the recent findings of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), which show that:

(a)

SAAP is able to accommodate 12,335 people on an average day;

(b)

SAAP is unable to accommodate all who request immediate accommodation, with an estimated 304 people (193 adults and unaccompanied children and 111 accompanying children) turned away on an average day;

(c)

over half (56 per cent) of the people making valid requests for immediate accommodation on any given day were turned away;

(d)

family groups had more difficulty in obtaining SAAP than individuals; and

(e)

a large proportion of the homeless population do not receive SAAP accommodation; and

(3)

urges the Government to:

(a)

recognise the immense pressure under which SAAP funded services are operating, with reduced real funding levels under the current agreement;

(b)

provide additional funding to meet unmet demand; and

(c)

develop strategies and work co-operatively with other levels of government to reduce homelessness. (Notice given 6 February 2007.)

Time allotted —30 minutes.

Speech time limits —

Mover of motion —5 minutes.

First Government Member speaking —5 minutes.

Other Members —5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.

3 Mr Baird: to move—

That the House:

(1)

notes that Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar:

(a)

remains under house arrest and incommunicado;

(b)

has been in prison or under house arrest for 11 of the past 16 years; and

(c)

is only one of over 1,100 political prisoners in Myanmar;

(2)

calls on the State Peace and Development Council of Myanmar to:

(a)

allow its citizens to peacefully exercise their rights to freedom of association and assembly; and

(b)

immediately and unconditionally release all people who have been arrested for the peaceful exercise of these rights;

(3)

notes that the UN Security Council has now placed Myanmar on its listing for review and encourages the Security Council to closely monitor the concerning human rights record of the current Burmese Government; and

(4)

expresses its concern regarding the 500,000 displaced people in Myanmar and the further 150,000 displaced people on the Thai border in refugee camps. (Notice given 27 November 2006.)

Time allotted —remaining private Members’ business time prior to 1.45 pm

Speech time limits —

Mover of motion —5 minutes.

First Opposition Member speaking —5 minutes.

Other Members —5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.

4 Ms Vamvakinou: to move—

That the House:

(1)

acknowledges that the ongoing detention without trial of David Hicks is inconsistent with both international and Australian legal standards (including the principle of habeus corpus) and contravenes the individual rights and protections for which these standards provide;

(2)

acknowledges that the newly revised rules for the US Military Commissions under which David Hicks is to be tried, but under which no US citizen can or will be tried, remain in breach of both the Geneva Conventions and the Australian Criminal Code and for this reason, do not constitute a fair trial but instead set an unacceptable precedent for the detention and trial of an Australian citizen overseas, especially by sanctioning the use of hearsay evidence and evidence obtained by coercion and by not permitting the accused to be privy to all the evidence;

(3)

notes that one of the charges laid against David Hicks relies on the use of retrospective legislation, while the Government asserts that he cannot be tried in Australia because it would require retrospective legislation;

(4)

calls for the immediate repatriation of David Hicks to Australia to face trial under Australian law;

(5)

urges members of the United States Congress to help facilitate David Hicks’ repatriation to Australia by passing a resolution in Congress to this effect;

(6)

calls on the Government to release advice provided by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions concerning the viability of charging David Hicks in Australia;

(7)

acknowledges that we in this place have a responsibility to monitor and protect the welfare and rights of Australian citizens imprisoned overseas; and for this reason:

(8)

calls for an immediate and independent assessment of the mental and physical health of David Hicks by relevant experts to ascertain the validity of allegations made concerning the deteriorating well being of David Hicks;

(9)

seeks concrete assurances that any such assessment will not jeopardise or in any way prejudice the treatment of David Hicks whilst he is in Guantanamo Bay; and

(10)

acknowledges that the ongoing imprisonment of David Hicks, and the denial of his basic rights, runs counter to the principles of freedom and democracy in the name of which the ‘war against terror’ is being fought, and threatens to undermine the international effort to combat terrorism. (Notice given 6 February 2007.)

Time allotted —30 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mover of motion —5 minutes.

First Government Member speaking —5 minutes.

Other Members —5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.

5 Mrs Hull: to move—

That the House:

(1)

supports the Australian aid program’s focus on eradication of poverty and corruption in developing countries;

(2)

supports the Australian aid program’s efforts to overcome the impact of poverty and corruption and to strengthen democratic institutions by promotion of good governance with specific reference to women and children in developing countries;

(3)

calls on the Parliament to encourage the Australian aid program to promote the human rights of, and the elimination of discrimination against, women and children in developing countries, in activities that:

(a)

support the elimination of gender-based discrimination—such as land, inheritance and property rights, family law, gender-based violence and discrimination in employment; and

(b)

support equitable access (including legal representation) for women and children to the legal system. (Notice given 30 November 2006.)

Time allotted —remaining private Members’ business time.

Speech time limits—

Mover of motion —5 minutes.

First Opposition Member speaking —5 minutes.

Other Members —5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.